


The best mirror is an old friend

by middlemarch



Category: Mercy Street (TV)
Genre: Deleted Scenes, Doctors & Physicians, F/M, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Murder Mystery, Outtakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24030544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlemarch/pseuds/middlemarch
Summary: Of first friends and of their keeping.
Relationships: Jedediah "Jed" Foster/Mary Phinney, Samuel Diggs & Mary Phinney, Samuel Diggs/Charlotte Jenkins
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	The best mirror is an old friend

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Mansion House Murder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23384296) by [BroadwayBaggins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroadwayBaggins/pseuds/BroadwayBaggins), [Fericita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita), [MercuryGray](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryGray/pseuds/MercuryGray), [middlemarch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/middlemarch/pseuds/middlemarch), [sagiow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagiow/pseuds/sagiow), [tortoiseshells](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tortoiseshells/pseuds/tortoiseshells). 



“I know we are called to believe every person has a spark of the Divine, an unquenchable, inviolable Light within them, but I can’t help feeling we are all better for a world without Silas Bullen,” Mary said to Sam, watching his smile begin in his dark eyes. “I remember how you held me back when he called me a whore.”

“Mary—” Had she ever shocked him so before? What an unexpected, compensatory delight to the trap they found themselves in.

“I’ve never told Jedediah. Certainly not now when he would be sorely tempted to desecrate the corpse,” Mary went on. 

“He’s a high temper, Dr. Foster,” Sam said.

“Oh, he has. He’s learned to curb it, but it’s a terrible effort for him. He hasn’t the talent for holding his tongue,” Mary said. “I expect that is why you are the better doctor. You needn’t demur or deny, he’s not here to take offense, not that he would. He’s learned that much.”

“You give me too much credit,” Sam said.

“Impossible. Jedediah would agree with me,” Mary said. “You’ve done so much with so little help, not as much as you deserve from us. I remember—”

“What do you remember?” Sam interrupted. He was uneasy and she didn’t want that for him. 

“I remember when you were my only friend. When you were the one who looked after me, where I slept, whether I ate. I remember how you held your tongue, held me back from scratching out Bullen’s eyes,” Mary said. She knew so little of what it had been like for him at Mansion House; what had made him return? “We’re not going to let anything happen to you, Sam. To you and Charlotte.”

“What should happen to us, Mary?” Sam asked.

“We both know it isn’t wise to ask that in Alexandria. Then and now, there’s a darkness here,” Mary said. 

“It’s not Alexandria,” Sam said. She nodded, recognizing the truth.

“But Alexandria is where we are. I’m expressing myself poorly,” Mary said.

“No, you’re not. You never have,” Sam said. “You don’t fool anyone who’s looking but then, you’re rarely trying to. I find.”

“Not many have your discernment. I find,” Mary replied.

“He’s just as fixed on this as you are? Dr. Foster?” Sam asked. “I see how he looks at you, how he wants to bring you home.”

“He knows what you’ve done for us. For him,” Mary said.

“He doesn’t owe me anything,” Sam said.

“Charlotte wouldn’t say so. But this isn’t about debts. It’s about safety and power. It’s about care. _Caritas_ ,” Mary said, holding Sam’s gaze steadily.

“All right. All right,” Sam said, shrugging a little in his fine suit. Mary smiled and shifted in her chair. 

“Belinda has a poultice. Might help. Doesn’t stink of vinegar and garlic,” Sam said. “I’ll ask her to send it with her boy Caleb.”

“Thank you,” Mary said. “If you think it’ll help.”

“I do. Not a cure but a palliative,” Sam said. “I’ve found, even a little better is worth it.”

“Yes,” Mary replied. “Though I hope to do more.”

“You always do.”

“Not when it comes to finding justice for that wretched miscreant. Though I should,” Mary said. Someone who didn’t know her well would have thought her blithe. Sam shrugged, crossed his legs as elegantly as Jed ever did.

“Should you?”

**Author's Note:**

> Title from George Herbert.


End file.
